


Red is for the blood that pumps in your veins

by TheSilentNight



Series: Naruto deserves the world [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Kurama Is Such a Mess, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tsundere Mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 17:04:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentNight/pseuds/TheSilentNight
Summary: Kurama was human, an odd and unusual thing, and he was in charge of raising Naruto, which of course was something Kushina had thought was logical and reasonable.It wasn't like Kurama could say no, not when Naruto had half of his chakra sealed inside of him, and besides how hard could raising a kid be?Very hard, Kurama would later find out.





	Red is for the blood that pumps in your veins

      There were many things Kurama hated, Death was one thing on the never ending list, rather near the top actually.

        It had taken his father, The Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, and it had taken Kushina Uzumaki, his second Jinchuuriki, and dare he admit it, almost a friend, his first, his only. Though maybe he had helped her to her fate quicker then he'd like to admit, she threw her life away to save her son, without thinking, without hesitating, threw herself over his crying form to stop Kurama from impaling him.

        He had just wanted freedom, had just wanted to be one with the forest again, but they were going to seal him away, so he had to do something, and maybe, he'll admit it, killing a newborn was the lowest thing he could do, he was a Bijuu with standards after all. What else was he suppose to do? Madara stole away his freedom, forced him onto Konoha, which was beyond dumb because Konoha had Uchiha who could break his control and Fuinjutsu specialists who could seal him away, and Kushina, and her very annoying husband, Sage she actually married the man, were going to seal them inside their own son.

        ...Kushina had gushed about him, Naruto that is, before he was even born- And for Sage's sake, she named her kid Fishcake, fucking _FISHCAKE_. For seven whole months Kurama heard all about Naruto, what she hoped he'd look like, what he'd act act like, if her unborn child was a boy or girl, and maybe... Maybe that was why he couldn't refuse Kushina.

        When she was laying dying over her son, she confessed, she gushed, she said anything she could to him, her baby boy, and though she had said so much, too much, she wasn't finished, to Naruto maybe, but to Kurama?

        " Hey. Fox." She said after a moment, Minato barely a minute away from sealing Kurama into Naruto," Take care of my baby boy, and don't be a shitty parent either." Kurama had thought his heart was in his mouth, pounding loudly in his throat like he was about to vomit, and Kushina moved, rewriting something on the seal at the last second, startling her husband and Kurama in an equal measure-

        And then Kurama was torn in half, his Yang chakra being sucked down into the blond babe, while his Yin half condensed, crushing and squishing into a human form, _a human form_. What had the woman been thinking?

        Light tan skin, long red hair, dark violet eyes, and soft yellow clothing, Kurama looked like a text-book Uzumaki clan member, and before he could curse, could scream at Kushina, because, Sage dammit, _she could've saved herself_ , she let out a hacking laugh that ended in a blood filled cough," Come'ere." And even in death Kushina was bossy, but Kurama obeyed, for the first time, he didn't mind being ordered around.

        "Listen Fox-"," Kurama." He blurted out, momentarily feeling smug when her eyes widened, and, for the first time in a long while, since his Father had been alive actually, Kurama felt like a scared little kid again when she softened, and smiled up at him," Listen Kurama, I can't- I won't make it, I can't be there for him. You need to be there for my son." She fisted her paling hand in his long red hair," Protect my son, protect yourself, raise him like we- Like I would've... I always wanted to be your friend, ya'know?" Kurama hadn't cried since his father died, and yet clear tears were falling onto Kushina's face, he lied to himself and said it was the rain, but it had long stopped before Kushina had been impaled.

        "You were always there, and now there's two of you, one to raise him, and one inside him." Kushina paused, and Kurama could see the light dimming in her eyes, and, Sage, it hurt, _it hurt so much_ \- Sage, _why_ did it hurt-" I would've loved a little brother." She cooed, and Kurama broke, a sob escaping his lips as Kushina pulled herself up, blood gushed from her wound," I wish I could've gotten to know you." She admitted quietly, wrapping a bloody arm around him, and Kurama wondered if it was her parental instincts making her this kind," I think we could've been best friends." Kushina pulled away, face pale and eyes sullen.

        "You were my favorite Jinchuuriki." Kurama admitted, and she had been, being held down and pinned by constraints of chakra had hurt but she treated him like an annoying bully who never left her alone rather then a bug who needed to be squashed, and feel privileged he was still alive like Mito had.

        Kushina smiled, and then the light left her eyes, and Kurama felt hollow for the first time, a decent human, one of the last few really, he wanted to know better was gone. Human mortality was a fickle thing. He set her next to her husband, Kurama didn't know him that well, mostly ignoring Kushina in her teenage years when she would ramble on and on about Minato's, well, everything. 

        It was somber, and quiet when Sarutodi, Sarotobi- Fuck it, The Monkey Man neared Kurama, Naruto was tucked neatly in the crook of the Bijuu's arms, and Kurama nearly snarled when the old man smiled sadly.

        "Kura-"," You don't get to use my name." Kurama snarled, curling over Naruto like he was a precious item that need to be hidden, or like Hiruzen was going to take the young babe away," Only her, only Kushina... Only Naruto." He said softly, and Kurama was use to anger, use to pain, but this was another type he didn't like at all, that hurt too deep.

        Screw Madara into the deepest parts of the underworld, may the Shinigami gut him repeatedly in the after life.

        "I will need a name, if you are to be Naruto's guardian." Hiruzen insisted, crouching down next to Kurama like he was a frightened child, though the body he had was more teen then adult, he needn't be treated like one. Kurama was several centuries old for Sage sake.

        "... Fine." Kurama said softly, shoulders slumping," Kurama... Uzumaki Kurama." Naruto was asleep in his arms, face scrunched up as the burning chakra of his Yang half mixed with his own, and Kurama felt tired, so tired, but... He had to take care of Naruto, because of his Yang chakra half sealed inside him, not because of Kushina.

        Kurama was the fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox, he didn't do sentimental, even if his last Jinchuuriki was surprisingly decent.

        He could pawn Naruto off right now, be free, it's not like he was obligated to take care of Naruto, but abandoning the babe left a sour taste in his mouth, and the hollow feeling in his chest deepened, though Kurama tried to convince himself if was from his lack of Yang chakra.

        "Come." Hiruzen ordered softly, and Kushina had always described the Monkey man as grandfatherly even when his own children were still young, Kurama found himself inclined to agree," We have papers to sign, and dead to bury." Kurama flinched.

        "I didn't attack Konoha because I wanted to. A masked Madara, or his descendant, or just some asshole human with his eyes pulled me loose and made me." Kurama snarled, loosing his tenseness when Naruto stirred in his arms," I wanted nothing to do with your- Your dumpster fire of a village." Hiruzen made a strangled sound," Why would I stay when there are Uchiha here and Sealing Masters?"

        Hiruzen smiled sadly," I know, Kurama-San, I was not blaming you. Now come, I'm sure Kushina-Chan would have liked you to be there for.." _Her funeral_ went unsaid.

        Kurama knew, from the pieces of memories he had from Kushina's eyes, who some of the awkward ninja were standing off to the side, some looked like they were ready to snatch Naruto out of his arms, or they were too busy staring at the carnage he had wrought under the Madara eye having menace.

        Kushina's and Minato's bodies had been sealed, which, though they were dead, left Kurama uncomfortable, no one should be sealed into something, dead or, especially, alive. It was horrible and dark, often cold and cramped, Kurama idly wondered what his Yang half was going through. 

        Was it painful? Dark? Claustrophobic? Was he chained up like a prisoner? Was he being tortu-

        "We'll need to come up with a story for you, Kurama-San." Hiruzen interrupted, a weary haunted look on his face as he took back the Hokage position, which really meant sitting back in the Hokage's chair with a sigh, and feigning ignorance to the many wounds on his old body.

        "I don't care what you tell your people, that I'm Kushina's brother, or that I'm the Nine-Tails. It doesn't matter to me, I'm only here for him..." Kurama paused as he shifted Naruto in his arms, eyes lingering on a picture of Minato and Kushina that sat the Hokage's desk," For her." He added softly after a moment.

        "... I see..." Hiruzen twisted his chair around so that he could stare out onto the village, an odd heavy air sat between them," I would like if you would... Collaborate with us in finding who masked man truly is. He needs to be brought to justice for his crimes." Hiruzen said sharply, and Kurama faintly remembered the monkey man's wife had been with Kushina when she gave birth," I will tell the public what we know, as not to place blame on the Uchiha, but I will leave it to you as to who will know your true identity." He added after another silent moment.

        "I want the first swing at the man." Kurama growled out, because- because, Kushina had been decent, better then Mito in many ways, and she wanted to know him, wanted to be _friends_.

      _~~Kurama never had a friend before.~~_

        "Welcome to Konoha, Uzumai Kurama. We have much to discuss, papers to write, and people to meet, but, first and foremost, let us tend to the dead." Kurama followed the old man out of his office, ignoring the prickling sensation of being watched. He didn't need to look back to know the Dog brat, Minato's student, was watching him.


End file.
